January 2019
The Inspector
Welcome to the newly designed Inspector! We hope you enjoy this new format as much as we do!

This past fall, the Board of Directors voted to start a Partnership Program with distributors, manufacturers, and service providers of the Pest Management Association. Over the next twelve months, you'll begin to experience the benefits of this program. Our thanks to Target Specialty Products for being the first to fulfill their commitment at the Platinum level.

If we can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out to the office at [email protected] or (800) 942-9090.

Team Versant
2019 Platinum Partners
Continuing Education
Technical Spotlight
What Bed Bug Remedies Work?

By PPMA Vice President, Jeff King

Bed bugs are nasty little creatures that no one wants to find in their home. These hitchhikers latch on to their hosts and can travel at great lengths to find a cozy place to settle down.
They can be found anywhere humans gather and are always looking for a easy meal. If you suspect that you may have a bed bug infestation, there are a few steps you can take to get rid of them. With a combination of home remedies and professional assistance, your home can be bed bug free.

Here are the top seven most popular bed bug remedies that truly work.

Small Business Spotlight
4 Workplace Trends Every Small Business Should Know About for 2019

Originally published on www.entrepreneur.com .

With the New Year right around the corner, many small-business owners are likely wondering what to expect in 2019. After all, spotting or failing to recognize an important trend can be the difference between a banner year and one we'd rather forget.

Many of us are wondering, for example, how the U.S. economy will impact business. Will hiring finally ease up? How will younger generations change our workforce?

Without a crystal ball, it's tough to answer every question. But, given trends we saw this year, it is possible to make a few educated predictions about what small businesses should prepare for as 2019 approaches. Here are my top four predictions:

Upcoming Events
Join us at our upcoming 2019 events!

Central Region Spring Seminar – Tuesday, February 19 (Park Inn, Mechanicsburg, PA)
Eastern Region Spring Seminar - Thursday, March 14 (Wyndham, Trevose, PA)
Central Region Fall Seminar – Tuesday, August 20 (Park Inn, Mechanicsburg, PA)
Western Region Fall Seminar - Thursday, August 29 (Doubletree, Cranberry Twp., PA)
Eastern Region Fall Seminar – Thursday, September 12 (Wyndham, Trevose, PA)
Northeast Region Fall Seminar – Thursday, September 26 (Radisson Hotel, Scranton, PA) 
Annual State Conference – Monday and Tuesday, November 11-12 (Eden Resort, Lancaster, PA)

The Eastern Division continues to hold its monthly meetings with varying topics of discussion on the second Thursday of every month at the Crowne Plaze in Trevose. For more information on monthly topics and speakers, contact Sue at (215) 331-1121.
Industry Updates
Upcoming Pesticide Certification Regulation Changes
Originally reported by PennAg Industries.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized stronger standards for people who apply restricted use pesticides. This rule became effective on March 6, 2017 and all states need to submit compliance plans to EPA by March 6, 2020. Fortunately for Pennsylvania, most of our state regulations meet or exceed the federal minimum standards. However, three issues will need to be addressed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) to meet those new federal standards.
 
First, the age of private applicators will need to be increased from 16 years of age to 18 years of age. The Pennsylvania regulations were last updated in December 2010 and included setting the minimum age for commercial and public applicators to 18 years of age. Increasing the age at this time for private applicators will make the same age requirement for all certified applicators in Pennsylvania.
 
Second, all certification exams, and this will include private applicator certification exams, will need to be closed book. Pennsylvania has started this process. Several years ago, the PDA started to implement a new exam policy in cooperation with the Penn State Pesticide Education Program. As of now, the private applicator exam will be the last exam to go closed book.
 
Finally, restricted use pesticides will only be applied by certified applicators. In Pennsylvania, this means that registered technicians and non-certified applicators will no longer be able to apply restricted use pesticides. However, they will still be able to apply general use pesticides.
 
If you have any questions about these upcoming changes, please contact Jessica Lenker at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at [email protected] or Jon Johnson at the Penn State Pesticide Education Program at [email protected] .
Legislative Update
The information below represents legislative activity (including bill introductions) that has occurred since the last newsletter. For a full listing of legislation that Versant is tracking for PPMA, please contact us at (717) 635-2320 or [email protected]. Activity marked HCO or SCO indicates a co-sponsorship memo which precedes the actual introduction of legislation and is designed to secure the support of other legislators prior to introduction as a bill.

The State and Federal Legislature have returned in 2019 to start a new Legislative Session. At the state level, Representative Sue Helm plans to reintroduce language that she advocated for that would license Home Inspectors and would create an industry-based Commission that would create guidelines. PPMA is supportive of this legislation.
REMINDER from NPMA
To update your company's service area, please follow the steps below:
  1. Log on to the Manage My Group area of the NPMA website. Please note: in order to access the "Manage My Group" area of the NPMA website, you must be a company administrator. 
  2. Click on "Company Information" from the drop down menu.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the Service Area section.
  4. Download the excel template found on this page.
  5. Update this template to include all of the zip codes that you service.
  6. Save the file on your computer.
  7. In the Service Area section click Choose File. Locate the excel template file that you just saved. Click open.
  8. Click Upload file.
Once you've completed these steps your service on Find-a-Pro is instantly updated to include these new zip codes. 
If you are having problems accessing please contact NPMA at (703) 352-6762 or  [email protected] .
Articles of Interest
01-27-2019 Berks offering private property owners grants to attack spread of spotted lanternfly
The invader falls. It cracks and splinters as it hits the lawn of a Berks County home, pulled earthward by a rope around its tall, spindly trunk. The toppled tree of heaven is dragged toward a hulking wood chipper, devoured by sharp blades and chewed into sawdust as the engine roars a... - Reading Eagle
01-27-2019 Are We Watching the End of the Monarch Butterfly?
For almost 30 years, hundreds of volunteers have helped document monarch butterfly numbers at more than 200 sites across California, from Mendocino to San Diego. A small group of these citizen scientists recently descended on the sleepy coastal town of Bolinas, near Stinson Beach, north of San... - New York Times
01-07-2019 Bed bugs have decided to stay; now they like senior living and schools, too
It’s been 10 years since word got out that Pittsburgh reached another step toward becoming a cosmopolitan city: Bed bugs were turning up in increasing numbers, in hotels and apartments, where none had been expected before. This sign of well-traveled residents and visitors seems to be here to stay.... - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette